The Darkest Night
by mjs1797
Summary: Kresh has just been betrayed by the Jarl of Markarth and he must now take his revenge on the tyrant and everyone that gets in his way.
1. Chapter 1

The Darkest Night

Our day opens and upon an open mountain we catch a glimpse of crimson shimmering armor. On this armor a glowing wolf is shown covered in blood. A redguard man named Kresh. Our protagonist arrives in this futuristic city looking for the Jarl in an unmistakable rage. He enters the main hall with his hunting dogs on his tail. As he ascends the stone stairs the Jarl stands to try and defend himself from the insults about to pierce the hall. The House Call raises her sword to intercept this storming beast but he swatted her away like a fly then he thrust his hand with the unnatural speed at the Jarl's throat.

In a bellowing voice he commanded "Any man who assisted this despicable piece of shit will die along with him." Kresh thrust his hand with amazing speed towards the Jarl's heart and as he does so the House Call jumps in front of his hand. Without the slightest flinch he flicks his arm back throwing the House Call down the stairs.

The guards notice that things are escalating fast and quickly try to intercept Kresh but his dogs maul one of the main guards to death digging through the chest plate. The other dog is thrust in the chest with a spear while charging the second main guard. This not only puts the first dog in frenzy but also takes Kresh aback with astonishment. With all the things he had lost in his life Miseria and Spes but seeing Spes die in front of his eyes was too much. He let out a tremendously horrifying howl that shook the whole Castle but as he did so the living Guards tackled him and Miseria.

The Jarl commanded the guards to take him as far north along with Miseria and let nature kill this beast and his slobbering mutt. The guards did as he said and as they did so they stripped him of his clothes and maces. As they were dropped into a lake right under a faintly familiar bridge Kresh suspected that his ill planed revenge attempt would not be in vain. He would have his revenge along with Spes's.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**2 months after being dumped under Dragon Bridge**

Kresh is sitting by a warm fresh fire with Miseria. Kresh was wearing rags he had thrown together from the random bears, forsworn, and other wolves he had conquered recently.Kresh was resting his bones after raiding a local forsworn camp. He had to take down 15 long sword wielders with normal grunts toying with Miseria while two long bowman firing upon the both of them but they had survived.

Kresh had been through a lot through the past two months dealing with the pain of betrayal and death. He didn't have the patience or the energy to deal with anymore stressing situations but as if on cue a suspicious noise came from the dark. Instinctively Kresh stood and Miseria got in his pouncing stance growling.

Kresh apprehensively sniffed the air and then slowly sat down calling off Miseria "I have no time for games if you've come to ridicule me or to see if the rumors are true then come forth. I won't kill you. Yet."

The three boys exited the apparently not so safety of the woods. They approached Kresh with apprehension but also a slight reverence. The leading boy spoke first. "What are you?" He said inquisitively.

"I am one of the most destructive things you will ever see in your ever see in your whole life. I am as swift as the wind and….. ahhh forget it. I am nothing but a simple roamer looking for vengeance where there is none."

The second boy looked at Kresh and asked "What are you staying outside of Solitude for?"

Kresh didn't answer staring blankly into the spiraling fire with glassy eyes. He took a breath after a three minute silence and said if you want to know my story the ASK if your just here to confirm rumors then leave."

The first boy pleads for his life but is stopped by the third boy, which had been silently standing behind the other two while this conversation was underway, "I want to hear your story for both reasons but mainly because I want to know what your life is like."

"You're quite inquisitive for a shy one. I'll do it because you're where so forth coming but try that gutsy stunt again and your guts will be what I feed Miseria here." As if on cue he snapped his teeth in a snarl. "My story begins in Whiterun. There I was introduced to the local Jarl who led me to good honest work. I guess I used to be quite the hero but back to the story. I was then introduced to the well known Companions where I meet great people I will never forget. I underwent the basic training there for awhile gaining great strength and loyal friends. Then came the day of initiation were I was subjected to a cave full of silver hands and as skilled as they were it seemed that the techniques that I had learned were perfect for fighting them. I finally reached the end of the cave and immediately after the oldest members of the Companions approached me and told me to follow them as we walked through Whiterun everyone looked at me weird. I couldn't help but wonder why half of the town was up in the middle of the night. I was told that dousing my bleeding hands in a pool behind the Companion's hut-like structure. I did as I was instructed while thinking if they wanted to kill me they could have done it before they trained me but I was wrong because immediately after doing so I was overcome with a sort of heart pain. I woke up as a beast outside Whiterun along with three silver hand camps."

**Hours pass and Kresh's story continues.**

"I'm finally left Whiterun, my home, after living there for nearly several years. My journey eventually led me to an informant that said the local Jarl was to be assassinated soon. My ignorant ass thinking I was still close to Whiterun after a month of travel easily took this information thinking it was the Jarl that was well-known to me but ever so coincidentally it turned out to be the Jarl of Markarth. I astonished at the time still alleviated this residential king of his most dangerous and doing so I earned his trust. This is where I honed my Werewolf skills, against the stone slabs of Markarth. With skills acquired from some of the best fighters in all of Skyrim and their equipment and also the strong tone of skill refined against the strongest of fighters in Markarth. Little did I know the Jarl of this country would find me a threat! He noticed that I was popular. The kids wanted to be me, the woman wanted to be with me, and the men wanted to kill me this only left problems for his "Excellency" and so as punishment he left me with a task I thought would be of legend."

"He approached me in the night outside the city walls while I was hunting with Miseria and … never mind I've said to much already you kids should leave I suppose that forsworn I left alive will be coming with more fun bags."

The first boy says "I'm sorry we disturbed you." And slowly inches away.

The third boy is about to leave but before he gets to the tree line he turns…"My father is a trader. We have had a piece of armor with wolves etched into it and a couple of maces with wolf heads spouting mist. I figured if the rumors are true then they would belong to you. Obviously I was too small to carry them and my two friends were too scared of my father but they will be leaving in a convoy to Windhelm for a check on magical properties. If you could restrain your killing reputation when you meet these men I will be grateful."

"You're a surprising little kid you know that."

"One day we will meet again and then I will want you to be my teacher." Then the boy runs after his friends.

Not thirty minutes later the boys hear clash of swords accompanied by the wales of soon to be dead men only to be silenced by a deathly unnatural howl.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Kresh is running through the forest with amazing poise and Miseria is having a hard time keeping up. They reach a peak of a medium sized hill overlooking a small group of merchants and traders protected by an even smaller group of Imperials.

Kresh had been tracking them for the past couple of days running into the usual bandits wanting to raid the merchants and forsworn casually in the way. He had practically covered half of Tamriel and to only now be in the vicinity of his goal. If only he could just find a perfect ambush time.

He rises from a low crouch "Miseria. We have to flank them. Go to the west and I'll wait for your signal then we'll attack at once. Don't go into frenzy like you did with the forsworn back there."

Miseria answered with a low scoff before sprinting to the right of Kresh deep into the woods.

Being on that hill alone now was accelerating. The thrill of the hunt had excited him for the past couple of days but now with his success only yards away he couldn't hold his excitement. Just then he heard a loud but secluded howl that he recognized as Miseria. Kresh let out a bellowing howl of his own and it was then that the group of travelers noticed the man in rags on the hill.

The mere sight of Kresh on that hill was terrifiying to the merchants. The soldiers drew their swords. Kresh started to twitch insesantly until his body was covered in dark black hair and he stood 6 feet taller than his normal height with claws sharpened to the point. As the Imperials witnessed this they faltered but didn't run. This was a mistake on their part.

Kresh launched himself off the hill and as he did so Miseria tore into one of the Imperials on the far side of the group. This caught the attention of the others for a second. In that second Kresh was able to swat one soldier away and grab another crushing his helmet along with his head. The last soldier stood facing both the beast and the pet with a glare that showed pure fear. This Imperial held a great sword with renowned gusto. He was the captain of the group that was protecting the merchants.

"Run!" the captain said. His hand rises in the air spreading a mist in the air and suddenly he thrust forward nearly clipping Kresh.

Kresh sidestepped the blade and jumped back with Miseria while avoiding the slowly creeping mist.

"Miseria, get away from here." Kresh morph back into his human form and grabs a sword off of one of the dead guards. He slowly approaches the mist and tries to trust his senses. The captain appears to his left in mid-swing aiming for Kresh's left arm but he was too fast and dodged it. Just as Kresh had thought the magic he had used was affecting his natural attributes. Kresh could still track his movements with his heightened senses but this mist was most likely giving the captain a prolonged affect of his magic. Kresh needed to figure out how to draw this enemy out. Kresh crouched low in a stance of submit. He waited for the captain to try and take this opportunity.

The captain appeared behind Kresh with his sword drawn over his Kresh's head. "It wasn't smart to ambush us you pup." The captain thrust down but before the blade reached him he swept his legs and kicked him back before he could reach the ground. His body flew at an uncontrollable speed and was only stopped by a rock a couple yards away. The captain tried to get up but fell to his knees noticing he has no energy left. He looks up and notices he is no longer under the protection of his mist.

Kresh approaches with the dead soldier's sword with a menacing swagger. He reaches the captain "You thought you could defeat me with your cheap tricks. Honestly an Imperial soldier that knows magic is one in a million. Why waste your life on a simple escort job?"

"I…I thought I could prove myself to my dear Jarl and become a House Carl."

"Would you have killed me?"

"O… Of course, there's a bounty for you dead or alive. If I caught you I could get more but you killed my friend."

Kresh's lips opened in a snarl "That slimy piece of shit has a bounty on my head and sends simple whelps to kill me. Ha! He'll have to try harder."

"Are you going to kill me?"

"Hm. I could or Miseria could have a chew toy. It's your choice."

"I'd like to go off to my family."

"Sounds interesting maybe I'll teach them a lesson." While leaving him with that thought he decapitates him with one swoop.

At that moment Miseria relays a series of howls letting Kresh know that he is in the vicinity of the merchants. Kresh quickly changes into the captain Imperials outfit and dons his helm. Then he chases after the merchants. He reached them within the hour and found that his armor was being worn by a scrawny Khajiit. He immediately ripped it off of them and threw it to Miseria who caught it in his mouth while jumping out of the brush. His disguise didn't last long with his sudden apprehension. He sticks by his promises though so he let them live. Surprisingly they didn't put up a fight when he raided them for his maces.

He walked away with Miseria deep into the woods but with this armor he could now enter towns undetected but to be sure he stayed away from the main cities.

In this time Kresh wandered around aimlessly not really knowing direction and hoping to run into someone who did. His sense of smell was distorted from the battle with the soldiers and Miseria was no help at all. While wandering, Kresh comes across a small camp of forsworn. He discovers that they are on their way to a hot spring that is said to have healing properties. Kresh is interested and follows the forsworn to the undisclosed location. As they approach Miseria launches out in front of them and grabs one in her maw. As she strides away Kresh approaches from behind unsheathing one of the forsworn's swords and cutting off its owners head. As the rest notice the fall of their brother they scatter.

Scrambling away one of them yells "You sly bastard. We'll come back for you."

Kresh exhales breathing in the warm air coming from the spring completely disregarding the threats being thrown at him. He slowly approaches the springs and as he does so he stabs the sword in the ground and starts to strip.

As he eases his way into the springs he immediately feels rejuvenated. He notices Miseria taking a bath across the way. This is the only time Kresh and Miseria have gotten to relax in months and he takes advantage of it completely submerging himself in the water.

Kresh had almost fallen asleep under the water too but before he could relax fully he caught a glint of light from the tree line. He rose out of the water at attention. He had been in too many fights to not know what he saw. He slowly stood up now noticing a faint smell of cave water and something else. His senses were finally coming back but he couldn't recognize this pungent smell coming from the forest. In a flash Miseria was by his side ready to take order for she could smell it too. Just as Miseria approached Kresh saw the glint only this time it was a full arrow. It was hurtling toward Miseria at unprecedented speed. Kresh caught it but at the risk of being shot himself with a second arrow. He fell to his knees now knowing what the smell was. Poison steel. He felt faint but couldn't pass out without knowing his assailant. Surprisingly enough it was a she.

She approached Kresh in a triumphant manner. The way she carried herself made it obvious she was an elf. Miseria charged her but was swatted away. Kresh enraged by the sight of that stood up snarling and charged the mystery woman with nothing with his fist. Kresh was surprised by her reaction speed. He fought like a beast clawing and slashing at her corset. She traded blows with Kresh like she was playing and as play time came to a end she swept his legs put a knife to his throat.

As she lied on top of his bare body he noticed her clothing and knew that she was a professional assassin. It was then that he resorted to words "Did HE send you!"

She answered with an emotionless "yes." Kresh was losing his energy fast but he wanted to make sure of something else. With his hands free he snatched her collar off revealing two incisions in her neck. As he passed out this mysterious woman whispered in his ear "You will suffer."

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	4. Chapter 4

I woke up in a random cabin I hadn't seen before. I couldn't lift my head no doubt because of the poison. I surveyed the area noticing that Miseria was in the corner and my armor and weapons were in the corner. "There is no need to hide." As weak as I was I wasn't going to let this vulture think I was powerless.

She emerged from the corner stating "I have no use for you but as long as our services are needed I will abide by our rules."

"By "our" rules I'm guessing you mean the assassin's guild."

"But of course. We are going to find out what you were planning before we kill you."

"You won't kill me. Miseria will kill you if you even could."

"High elves have an affinity to animals if you didn't know."

"You're not only that are you though you're a rarity?"

"Indeed I am but enough with this small talk. Tell me why you exactly want to kill the Jarl."

I looked down then answered with a smirk "He didn't tell you."

"That's beside the point. We don't kill without good reason but if you don't answer in the next minutes or so it won't matter. The paralysis your feeling will spread to your heart."

"I won't die before I kill that man."

"You should have a good reason then."

"He killed my other partner Spes and betrayed Miseria and I."

"We are good people. We understand loss and accept it. I trust the companions believe in that too."

"I'm not with those weak beasts anymore they banned me and I in turn gave up their ideals."

"I understand now."

"I don't need your sentiment."

"I didn't offer it. We are not friends and in fact we are sworn enemies."

"Yet you haven't killed me yet."

"I hold my own against my other people as well."

"We have something in common. Have I showed any sign of lying or ill reasoning?"

"Lying? No. Ill reasoning? Revenge is a good enough reason for anything under my eyes but the guild may have discrepancies."

"Take me to the guild for judgment if you can't decide by yourself."

She laughed and as disturbing as it was I could tell she was relaxed talking to me now. "You go to the guild. That would be something. I could assign a meeting place with the leader to decide though."

"I would very much appreciate that."

She walked over and put a pill in my mouth. I chewed it and immediately felt the medicine working. I leaned forward gasping for air.

"I'll be waiting outside. The trip will take about a week so prepare yourself."

I sat myself up still dazed from whatever the she-devil had had drugged me with. I immediately ran or rather stumbled to Miseria. I asked if she had collected any Intel about the mysterious woman. She had no response other than that she is secretive which I already knew. "Well we should get ready huh."

I put on my armor and ventured through the door with my companion once again only this time it was with a woman that ultimately wanted me and Miseria dead.

"We should stick to the back trails, crossing through towns would cause suspicion being that you're a fugitive and I'm a … wanted by many."

I couldn't disagree with that idea I had already been avoiding towns. "Sure. I know a couple of different …"

She rushed forward "Lets get one thing straight your are not to have any choice in where we go or how we get there. You are my prisoner from this point on. Remember that pill only slowed the poison in your system. You will still die without me."

I snarled but lowered my head in a respectful yet bashful manner and said "As you wish."

We ventured west coming in contact with very little life in the first month of travel. I was a warrior and being kept from the taste of steel and blood was making me paranoid. At every camp we made I looked for something to kill but it was like the she-devil was keeping them away. One night I asked "why haven't we seen any wildlife or forsworn?"

"I told you I have an affinity to animals and as for the forsworn. They know to stay away from me."

The mist around this was getting thicker as we traveled. If I was going to try to get out of this situation I would need to be friendly with her. For a werewolf this would be going against every bone in my body totally disobeying all the principles and instincts I was thought to trust. Then again I had betrayed most of those long ago. A month through our travels I tried to talk with the nightwalker. Asking "What's your history with the forsworn?"

She answered as one would expect "Tread lightly pup for I have no use for lore."

"We've been traveling for a month now and I know nothing of you. It's not healthy to stay quiet on a long trip." I said with a devilish smile.

"Fine. I will give you something to ponder while you sit. My village was attacked by forsworn. They ravaged everything they saw and left no one alive. My family hid me in a cranny under the floorboards in our cabin. I sat and cried there for most of the raid." She looked down for a moment and that was the first time I saw emotion on her face and I knew which it was all too well, sorrow. She continued "I got up and tried to skirt around the burning cabins sneaking behind the Neanderthals. I was sly for a child but I was clumsy as well and as I was making my way through the one of the cabins close to the gate. I tripped over a medicine bowl. The forsworn being animals of their own kind found me and carried me to the leader of the raid. They sat me down in the town square. I was such a hard-headed kid that I sat there unfazed by the occurrences of the night knowing that I was being torn to pieces inside. As the leader approached me with a weird stride I noticed something in one of the burning cabins. A knocked over pedestal with blood dripping out of it, candles spread across the floor still lit, and a knife covered in blood. I was barely able to analyze till later because of the beast of a so called man was choking me to death. I struggled as many would but to no avail. I started to lose consciousness but the man's grasp had loosened just enough for me to bite his hand. He dropped me and stared blankly into the night it was then that I noticed an arrow sticking through the man chest. That was the first time I had seen an assassin. He swiftly took down all the forsworn that had token over our village. That night I swore two things. To avenge my village and join the assassins."

"Your story…it's…"

"Sad I know I've told it plenty of times to the dead."

"I myself have a vendetta against the forsworn."

"Oh really?"

"They are the men that the Jarl sent after me and my companions."

"Terrible choice on their part I'm guessing."

"Trust that they know my name by now."

"It seems we're not too different after all."

"It's getting la…"

"sshh…" She said with a stern look in her eye.

Now focusing on my surroundings I noticed a scent. Confusing yet familiar.

"You said you have a vendetta against forsworn. Well it's time to prove it."

That was the smell, that sour wild smell of death and betrayal. I beckoned for her to undo my chains and she surprisingly obliged. I stood now stretching for a battle that I had been craving. Miseria stood and looked at me. I squatted and instructed her to survey the enemy but not to confront them and to comeback with an estimate of their numbers. It didn't take long as she came from the tree line not a minute later with the news of over 50 forsworn just the battle I was looking for. I strapped on my weapons that had been resting near the assassin. "I'm going to need a name to call in this battle just in case I'm put into a tough situation."

"You can address me as Astalia."

Astalia disappeared in a flash into the tree line. I felt the blood rush and likewise charged into the forest with Miseria at my side. I immediately ran into an archer line. Miseria jumped over them and it served as a perfect distraction for my first strike. I broke their line with a left swing from my mace. In mid-swing I pulled a knife from my under armor and shoved in a archers neck as another one charged me with a short sword raised Miseria snatched him up and chomped him in half. I rose slowly and charged for the next victim. The battle was dragged out and I didn't see Astalia until the end. There was the captain of the group we had wiped out standing in the middle of our camp. I sat and watched as Astalia struggled to conquer the brute. Miseria wanted to help but I looked at it as payback for the month of no acknowledgment. As I looked on at the fight I noticed this man was awfully familiar. He reminded me of the night everything went to shit. I stood and open mouthed remembering the very night. This was the man that had killed Spes. I was overcome with rage. I immediately turned into my beast form and charged him. I only saw blood and I believe that it was then that Miseria as well as Astalia noticed just how much of an animal I was. I ravaged his body leaving nothing but a bloody mess. If there was ever a real monster it was me in that moment. I stayed in my werewolf form howling all night according to Astalia Miseria joined me. It was only until mid-day that I returned to my original form.

When I awoke from exhaustion Astalia approached me crying "That was the man! It was he that murdered my whole village."

I felt for her. Knowing immediately how she felt. "I apologize for taking your rightful kill but he also killed Spes."

"I am not mad at all in fact I am grateful you have freed me and I am indebted to you."

"As am I to you."

***Please leave comments to tell me how to better this series. Don't forget to favorite and check out my new series Lost Souls***


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